Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-06-23
THE OUTRAGE UPON THE TEXTBOOK
FUND.

W hen II was tlrst made known that there
was not being sufficient produce from
the State Printing Office in the issuance of
school textbooks to account for the drafts
upon the school-book fund, it was not
known in what direction to look
for the deficiency Something must
be conceded to every State department as
to capacity to dots duty, until such time
as 1t is no longer matter of doubt that ii
is not discharging its proper functions.
Now that the month of June is nearly
run out, it is found that all the volumes
issued and possible to issue before it closes
next week, and which ends the fiscal year.
will not, in the cost of the product, any
where nearly equal the amount drawn
from the school-book fund.
At the same time it develops that
though the Printing Office support fund
has been some time exhausted, that gen
eral State work has been performed.
While some of this has been paid for
only by promise TO report the debt for
deficiency appropriation, it is known that
some of it has been paid for out of the
school-book fund. That is, work done on
general account Of the State has been
charged up as if performed for the book
fund. This is deducibe from the unde
niable fact that the fund is short some
$4,000, as all the product of the text
book department multiplied by the cost of
each volume will not, with all allow
ances made for incomplete work, and stock
on hand, equal the sum drawn from the
fund by about $4,000.
There is no moral difference be-
tween drawing money from fund set
apart for specific purpose, and APP
plying it to the use of another fund.
and that of taking it from the public
treasury without any right or return what
ever. The effect upon the depleted fund
Is the same in the case of misappropriatio
as IN theft. There is no way, short of a
legislative Act, to restore the money. The
school-book experiment, which is under
severe test, and is assailed from within and
from without, and beset by open and by
secret foes, has been hurt by the act of the
superintendent of State Printing, in
order that work might be continued for
general purposes. If the Superintendent
of State Printing had the backbone of a
man, or the clearness of perception that
ought to distinguish the incumbent of that
important Office, when his general support
fund ran short, he would have "shut
down " peremptorily, and let those de-
partments demanding general State print
ing cool their heels until the fund had
been replenished He would have let his
right hand rot from the arm, rather than
sign and swear to false certificate that
debited work against fund for which it
was not performed.
1t Is barely possible that Superintendent
Shoaf' did not do such an act Of malfeas-
ance; it is barely possible he can salts
iaetorially explain why the product of the
sehool-book fund is so unrepresentative of
the amount Of money drawn from it it is
possible that he can explain the damaging
irregularities that the facts now indicate.
and that be can justify his claim to fitness
for the Office If he can, none will be
more pleased or quick 10 do him Justice
than the REcoRD-UNIox. 1t does not
propose to condemn unheard. nor to iump
AT conclusions. 1t charges. however. that
rs the figures appear upon official books:
that on the reports of Mr.. ShoaH.
and the facts demonstratable in the
State Printing Office and binderv.
he has cheated fund sacredly set apart
by the people for specific purpose. and
perverted it to foreign uses. For that CON
duct, unexplained, he ought to be made t,
suffer the full penalty, whatever it NAV be.
If he had been in the employment of an
antagonistic book concern; if he had been
iired to aid conspiracy 10 break down
the scheme of cheap school books, he could
MT have served such purposes better than
to create shortage in the school-bool5
luna that cannot possibly be rectifed until
the . legislature assemblies, and not then. If
the enemies Of the textbook system can
prevent it.